By Raviraj
Many theories of study techniques have been put forward by experts for a long time to try and understand people’s learning habits and as well as group them in different categories according to common habits among them. These techniques are said to help people understand themselves better hence choose the right style for them. Different study styles work differently for different people and it is therefore unlikely for one technique to work for everyone. Some of the learning theories that have been put forward include Jung’s theory of personality which classifies learners according to their personality pattern, Kolb’s Experiential learning theory which states that people learn from experience, social learning theory by Albert Bandura which states that people learn by observation to name but a few.
Most of these theories have a common school of thought which revolves around one fact. Learning fully depends on our senses to process information received through different ways. The three most common learning styles are visual learning where one learns best through sight, auditory learning where one learns best through hearing and kinesthetic learning where one learns best by doing things or through experience.
Other learning styles include verbal learning where one learns best through self expression in the written or spoken word, logical learning where one learns best through reasoning and logic, social style where one learns best when in a group and the solitary learning which is a complete opposite of the social style. The solitary learner learns best when alone.
Why is Knowing your learning style so important in choosing a study technique? Everyone wants to excel in their studies and every student has a sense they can make use of better than the other senses. For instance one can be very good in listening and clearly remembers what they heard during a lecture but rarely grasps what the lecturer wrote on the board. This person will most likely succeed by attending lectures and listening keenly rather than copying notes.
Many people will notice that they possess more than one learning style which works even better to their advantage. It is not enough to discover only one style and be content. There will never be an end to discovering oneself and the more you know yourself the better as this will help in better time management, better choices in terms of shedding off what pulls you down in your studies and putting together study techniques that will work to your advantage. Here the focus shifts from what is popular or what others recommend to what is best for me.
Apart from deciding what works for you, it becomes easier interacting with your lecturers and helping them understand you better. Through this they are able to design a program that will help you a great deal through studies. If you are not the solitary type, you will find knowing yourself very meaningful because you will be able to choose a study group or partner in line with your style.
To know your learning style, it is fundamental to understand the unique characteristics that describe the different learners. People have different preferences when it comes to studying and notably, these same features form different study techniques. Visual learners are excellent in spelling. It takes them some time to understand and will need a quiet environment to study well. They understand charts better than texts and are quite good when it comes to sign language. The auditory learner on the other hand is outspoken. They are good at remembering names and are excellent when it comes to explanations. They study well in groups and easily get spoken instructions. The kinesthetic learner is outgoing. They like getting involved. They can’t study for long periods and have to take breaks in between. They can study well in noisy environment and enjoys role plays. Preferences like group work, sports, music and reading are good guides in designing a suitable study technique.
Many modes of study fail, a lot of precious time is wasted and opportunities for excellent performance get wasted simply because people not knowing themselves. It is vital to know yourself in order to come up with tools and methods that will work best for you. There is no known formula for excelling because studying is a personal venture. You are the only one that best understands the study technique that suits you.
